As a lineman, Devin Jeffries seems like an unlikely candidate to catch a touchdown. Especially a game-winner. But that’s what the all-state Glacier grad did at last weekend’s 67th annual Montana Shrine football game.
Jeffries, a future Montana State Bobcat, caught a 4-yard touchdown to give the West all stars their first and final lead with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. The West stormed back from a 28-0 deficit to defeat the East, 31-28, in Butte.
Before Jeffries’ momentous catch, another former Glacier standout provided the spark to the memorable comeback. Kyle Griffith caught a 51-yarder in the second quarter that led to the West’s first touchdown.
The East leads the all-time series 37-30. The East won its first Shrine game in eight years last summer, 23-12.
Every year since 1947, Montana high schools’ finest players are selected to compete in a game to raise money and to help make the public aware of the expert orthopedic and burn care available at the Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Spokane. In recent years, the Montana game has become one of the top Shrine Games in the nation for hospital donations.
Eleven football players from the Flathead Valley were selected for this year’s game: Griffith, Jeffries, Rial Gunlikson and Reid Siderius from Glacier; Flathead’s Matthew Tokarz; Bigfork’s Chris Landon and Josh Sather; Dave Cross from Hot Springs; and Polson’s Will Davey, Riley Sampson and Eric Williamson.